WHEN SUCCESS LEADS TO FAILURE

“The pressure to achieve academically is a crime against learning”

By: Jessica Lahey

Published: The Atlantic, August 2015, http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/08/when-success-leads-to-failure/400925/

Level of difficulty: **

BEFORE YOU READ: WATCH AND LISTEN

·         Creating a positive classroom culture https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/establish-classroom-culture

·         Using critical thinking https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/analyzing-websites-with-students

·         Making feedback meaningful https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/personalize-feedback-for-students

·         Don’t give up! Plan, persevere, revise https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/math-practice-standard-perseverance

QUESTIONS

1.       What does “the same thing” in the phrase “I had noticed the same thing about her daughter refer to? Be specific.

2.       Read the paragraph beginning “The truth”. Which of the following are true according to this paragraph?

·         Marianna has learnt that the means justify the end

·         Everyone is born with a natural curiosity and love of learning

·         We should stop testing and comparing the scores of students

·         Teachers don’t really mean to destroy love of learning

·         People are aware of the problem but are not doing anything about it

·         We should explain that intellect is as important as character

3.       Marianna’s mother’s attitude can be described as:

·         Rewarding

·         Misguided

·         Pleasing

·         Well-intentioned

·         Pathetic

·         All of the above

·         None of the above

·         Other: please specify

4.       It is implied in the text that Marianna’s mother should also deliver praise for….

5.       We understand from the text that Marianna has acquired certain positive qualities but has lost certain vital features because……….The reason for this is that………………………………..

6.       Marianna’s mother is not following in the path of her own mother because…………….

7.       What should she have done instead?

8.       It is implied in the text that the current system of reward for high performance does not make kids ………………………………………..

9.       It is also implied that parents should direct their focus to …………………………contrary to the dictates of the current system of rewards for high performance

WRITING:

Discuss the damage done by the system of rewarding performance and how it can be improved

 WHEN SUCCESS LEADS TO FAILURE; KEY AND TEACHERS’ NOTES

1.       That her daughter just doesn’t seem to love learning

2.       1, 2, 4, 5

3.       Misguided and well-intentioned

4.       Diligence and effort

5.       She has started to take fewer intellectual risks/ failure will be hard evidence that she is not as smart as everyone says she is

6.       She is too worried about Marianna’s future achievements

7.       She should have allowed her to fail and play and learn for the sake of learning/ she should have allowed her to lose herself in the trying and when she…

8.       Independent, competent adults

9.       To children’s long term developmental and emotional needs